Heisman Watch 2012: AJ McCarron Isn't Getting Enough Love from Voters

Every year there are players in college football who don't get the love they deserve from Heisman Trophy voters despite their superb play on the field.

These players typically play for an under-the-radar team that performs well but doesn't usually show up in the BCS National Title Game picture at any point in the season.

Last year it was Robert Griffin III who didn't get much love early on but began to gain national attention after his Baylor Bears beat Oklahoma on national television.

This year the Heisman Trophy talk has been all about dual-threat quarterbacks like Geno Smith, Collin Klein and Braxton Miller.

While one cannot try and diminish all that those three have accomplished, there is one player who has arguably played better than any of them and hasn't gotten any attention for it.

AJ McCarron perhaps should be the front-runner for the Heisman Trophy this year ahead of the aforementioned players.

McCarron is the quarterback of the current and undisputed No. 1 team in the country, and the player who was essential to his team's success in last year's BCS National Title Game.

Under McCarron's guidance, the Alabama Crimson Tide are undefeated this season and have lost just one game (a 9-6 squeaker to LSU) since he took over for Greg McElroy at the beginning of last season.

So far this season McCarron has thrown for nearly 1,500 yards, 16 touchdowns, no interceptions and has completed over 68 percent of his passes.

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

While he doesn't have gaudy numbers like Smith's or Klein's ability to run and pass, McCarron does have his team in a perfect position going forward in the season. The Crimson Tide simply need to win out and they will play for a second consecutive national title.

No other player in the country has that "stat" on his resume.

While the argument could be made that McCarron has not yet had to face a top-tier defense yet, consider that guys like Cam Newton and Troy Smith got a ton of Heisman voter love throughout the majority of their seasons because they were the best players on the best teams in the country.

So why not give McCarron the love he deserves?

Alabama has the toughest part of its schedule coming up with a home game against No. 11 ranked Mississippi State this weekend followed by a trip to Death Valley to play No. 6 ranked LSU the following week.

These games should put McCarron and Alabama to the test.

So far McCarron has been able to perform well in big games. In the Crimson Tide's showdown against Tennessee last week, McCarron was at his best throwing for 306 yards, four touchdowns and five incompletions.

If McCarron can continue to perform the way he has so far this season in big games and keep Alabama going as the undisputed No. 1 team in the country, then he should without a doubt be the front-runner for the Heisman Trophy this season.